Leipzig’s Oberbürgermeister Burkhard Jung, the President of the German Cities Association, has called on the 16 federal states to transfer at least two-thirds of the allocated share of the 100 billion Euro Infrastructure Special Fund directly to municipalities. “It is now important that the majority of the money actually lands in municipalities” Jung told the “Welt” newspaper. “At least two-thirds of these 100 billion should be transferred to municipalities.”
Jung also advocates for a significant reduction in bureaucracy. Among other things, he proposes that child benefit and housing allowance should be paid out automatically and centrally by the federal government to parents and recipients of housing allowance. “Where there are no discretionary margins anyway, there is no need for a case officer on site. When a child is born, the parents should automatically receive child benefit. There is no need for an application, approval, or personal submission of an ID card.”
In Jung’s view, “excessive legislation” and “endless control and administration” are major reasons for the current lack of confidence in democracy among many people in Germany. “We have created a significant bureaucratic effort and given the impression to the citizen that the state is controlling them at every level and even wants to determine what they can plant in their front yard – a tree or just a shrub. This culture of mistrust must go” said Jung and called for politicians and administration to regain the citizens’ trust with “a certain degree of confidence.